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Search called off for hunter missing in massive Minnesota forest

BELDEN, Minn. -- After five days, Pine County law enforcement officials suspended their search for a hunter who went missing, saying they’ve found no sign of him.

David Peltier, 59, was reported missing Sunday by members of his deer hunting party in northern Minnesota, according to the Pine County sheriff’s office.

The group was hunting in the Nemadji State Forest along the Gandy Dancer Trail near “Belden,” about 120 miles north of St. Paul near the Wisconsin border. His fellow hunters reported him missing on Nov. 4 after he did not return to their cabin the previous evening.

The sheriff’s office headed a multi-agency search, which included over 100 volunteers. But on the morning of Nov. 9, the sheriff’s office announced that they were halting the unsuccessful search, though they would follow up on any new leads. The Nemadji State Forest totals nearly 92,000 acres in both Pine and Carlton Counties.

Hunters who will be in the area are asked to keep an eye out for any sign of Peltier. Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s office at 320-629-8380 or dial 911.